Protective and Reflective Guardrail Post Cap

ABSTRACT

A protective and reflective post cap is disclosed herein. The post cap is preferably comprised of a generally dome-shaped anodized aluminum body with a reflective and UV resistant outer surface, and an adhesive inner surface for attaching to a post, such as a guardrail post, for preserving the useful life thereof. The post cap is also preferably comprised of a precipitation diverting skirt which directs precipitation away from the body of the wooden post, thereby preserving the useful life thereof. The post cap of the present invention prevents precipitation and ultraviolet radiation from permeating into and damaging the wooden post to which it is attached.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/923,094, which was filed on Oct. 18, 2019and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to a protective and reflectivepost cap for attaching to a wooden post, such as the wooden posts thatare used to support guardrail along a roadside. More specifically, theinvention relates to a guardrail post cap that is comprised of anodizedaluminum and/or a ultraviolet (UV) resistant plastic and having areflective finish, an inner surface that is coated with an adhesive foradhering to a wooden post, and a precipitation deflection skirt todirect the elements, such as rain, snow, sleet, etc., away from thewooden post, thereby prolonging its useful life. Accordingly, thepresent specification makes specific reference thereto. However, it isto be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equallyamenable to other like applications, devices and methods of manufacture.

Guardrail is a longitudinal barrier that is commonly used to protectmotorists from roadside hazards by reducing the severity of collisions,and preventing a vehicle from veering off of a roadway and into anembankment or other object. Semi-rigid guardrails, such as metal beamguardrails supported by a plurality of spaced apart metal or woodenposts, are the typical type of guardrail installed along streets, roads,highways, interstates, and the like. A multitude of differing anchoringposts are commonly employed to anchor such guardrails to the ground andsupport the same. More specifically, a plurality of metal or wood anchorposts are driven a certain minimum distance into the ground (i.e.,typically below the frost line) alongside a roadway, and lengths ofguardrail are then attached to one another in series, as well as to theanchor posts, via a plurality of fasteners. Additionally, speciallydesigned guardrail end caps may also be attached to the ends of a lengthof guardrail, particularly on the ends of guardrail that are facingoncoming traffic, to absorb, or at least reduce, the force of the impactcaused by a car striking the end of the guardrail.

While metal anchor posts, such as those comprised of galvanized steel,used in the erection of guardrails are typically more immune to theeffects of weather and precipitation, such as rust and watersaturation/permeation, that can occur as a result of rain, snow andexposure to the elements, their use is oftentimes cost prohibitive. Forexample, it has been reported that the annual cost of ownership ofgalvanized steel guardrail posts per mile is as much as 80% more thanthe annual cost of ownership of wooden guardrail posts.

Unfortunately, while wooden guardrail posts are cheaper to own andmaintain, wooden guardrail posts, such as wooden round or domed topanchor posts, are far more susceptible to the detrimental effects of,for example, rain, snow, UV rays from the sun, mold, infestation,freeze-thaw cycles, etc. than their galvanized steel counterparts.Additionally, when a wooden post is cut and rounded, the cross-sectionalgrain surface that forms the top of the post is often left withimperfections caused by the stress undergone by the wood when being cutand shaped into a post. These imperfections, along with the generalpropensity of wood posts to deteriorate over time from their exposure tothe elements, can lead to the permeation of moisture into the body ofthe wooden post. This permeation of moisture through the wooden postthrough precipitation, such as rain, snow and the like, can over timelead to the pre-mature rotting or weakening of the wooden anchor posts.Additionally, the wooden anchor post may further be weakened as themoisture within the post undergoes the various freeze/thaw cyclesassociated with the seasons of the year. More specifically, when coupledwith below freezing temperatures, the moisture trapped within the woodenposts has the ability to undergo various cycles of freezing and thawing,and the resulting expansion can crack the wooden post and compromise itsstructural integrity. In addition, the continuous exposure of the woodenanchor posts to the sun's harmful UV rays can further degrade an alreadypartially compromised wooden anchor post.

Once the rotting and/or freezing/thawing cycles have compromised thestructural integrity of the wooden post, it may no longer be able tosupport the weight of the guardrail or serve as a sufficient roadsidebarrier, thereby necessitating its replacement to ensure public safety.Unfortunately, in a time of increasing costs and shrinkingconstruction/maintenance budgets, the need to replace or repair damagedwooden guardrail posts burdens all levels of responsible government.

Accordingly, there exists a long felt need in the art for a method ofslowing down the historic deterioration of wooden posts, such as woodenguardrail anchor posts, and prolonging their useful life. Morespecifically, there exists in the art a long felt need for a guardrailpost cap or cover that protects the uppermost portion of the woodenguardrail post from the elements, such as, rain, snow, sleet, road saltand the like, and that prevents significant moisture from infiltratingthe wooden posts and deteriorating the same via rot or freeze/thawcycling. Additionally, there is also a long felt need in the art for aguardrail post cap or cover that protects the wooden anchor post fromharmful UV rays, and that is reflective so that it can be easily seen byoncoming motorists. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for awooden guardrail post cap that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture,and that is safe and easy to install and use.

The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, discloses aprotective post cap that is preferably comprised of a generallydome-shaped anodized aluminum body with a reflective and UV resistantouter surface, and an adhesive inner surface for attaching to a woodenpost, such as a wooden guardrail anchor post, for preserving the usefullife thereof. The protective post cap is also preferably comprised of aprecipitation diverting skirt which directs precipitation and moistureaway from the body of the wooden post, thereby preserving the usefullife thereof. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, theprotective cap may be comprised of a generally dome-shaped UV resistantplastic body to protect against UV exposure from the sun, or a UVresistant coating that can be applied to the anodized aluminum body.

In this manner, the wooden guardrail post cap of the present inventionaccomplishes all of the forgoing objectives, thereby preserving thestructural integrity of wooden guardrail anchor posts by shielding themfrom all forms of precipitation and the elements, and diverting saidprecipitation away from the wooden post as a whole. Additionally, thereflective nature of the wooden guardrail post cap of the presentinvention increases driver visibility of the guardrail by reflectinglight from a vehicle's headlights. Finally, the adhesive coating on theinner surface of the wooden guardrail post cap of the present inventionensures a secure bond between the protective cap and the wooden post,and will prevent the cap from being unintentionally removed from thepost by, for example, the wind.

SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basicunderstanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summaryis not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identifykey/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its solepurpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude tothe more detailed description that is presented later.

The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodimentthereof, comprises a generally dome-shaped anodized aluminum cap with areflective and UV resistant outer surface, and an adhesive inner surfacefor attaching to a wooden post, such as a wooden guardrail anchor post,for preserving the useful life thereof. The protective post cap is alsopreferably comprised of a precipitation diverting skirt along the lowercircumference of the post cap for directing precipitation and moistureaway from the body of the wooden post, thereby preserving the usefullife thereof.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certainillustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein inconnection with the following description and the annexed drawings.These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various waysin which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and is intendedto include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages andnovel features will become apparent from the following detaileddescription when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a prior art and generallycylindrical wooden post with a plurality of rails attached thereto,wherein the post and the rails exhibit signs of deterioration in theforms of cracks and the like.

FIG. 2A illustrates a perspective top view of one potential embodimentof the guardrail post cap of the present invention in accordance withthe disclosed architecture.

FIG. 2B illustrates a perspective side view of the wooden guardrail postcap of FIG. 2A about to be placed atop of a generally cylindrical woodenguardrail anchor post in accordance with the disclosed architecture.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective side view of an alternative embodimentof the guardrail post cap of the present invention about to be placedatop of a generally cylindrical wooden guardrail anchor post, and havinga precipitation diverting skirt around the lower circumference of theside portion of the post cap in accordance with the disclosedarchitecture.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective bottom view of the wooden guardrailpost cap of FIG. 3, and having a precipitation diverting skirt aroundthe lower circumference of the side portion of the post cap inaccordance with the disclosed architecture.

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the wooden guardrail postcap of FIG. 3 at cut line 3-3 and attached to the wooden anchor post inaccordance with the disclosed architecture.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, whereinlike reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout.In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovationcan be practiced without these specific details. In other instances,well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form inorder to facilitate a description thereof.

As noted above, there exists a long felt need in the art for a method ofslowing down the historic deterioration of wooden posts, such as woodenguardrail anchor posts, and prolonging their useful life. Morespecifically, there is a long felt need in the art for a guardrail postcap that protects the uppermost portion of the wooden guardrail anchorpost from the elements, such as, rain, snow, sleet, road salt and thelike, and that prevents significant moisture from infiltrating thewooden posts and deteriorating the same via rot or freeze/thaw cycling.There is also a long felt need in the art for a guardrail post cap thatprotects the wooden anchor post from harmful UV rays, and that isreflective so that it can be seen by oncoming motorists via thereflection of their vehicle's headlights. Finally, there is a long feltneed in the art for a wooden guardrail post cap that is relativelyinexpensive to manufacture, and that is easily secured to the woodenguardrail anchor post.

Referring initially to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a perspectiveview of a prior art wooden guardrail anchor post 10 with a plurality ofrails 20 attached thereto. More specifically, guardrail anchor post 10is comprised of a rounded or domed shaped top portion 14 and a generallycylindrical body 16 that is attached to a plurality of rails 20. As istypical with such prior art wooden anchor posts that have been in thefield for some time and exposed to the elements (e.g., rain, snow,sleet, wind, UV rays from the sun), each of wooden guardrail anchor post10 and the plurality of rails 20 show signs of deterioration in the formof openings or cracks 12 in the surface thereof.

As explained above, when a wooden post is cut and rounded, thecross-sectional grain surface that forms the top of the post is oftenleft with imperfections caused by the stress undergone by the wood whenbeing cut and shaped into a post. More specifically, when a roundedcontour cut is made, the end grains and wood fibers that are typicallyprotected by the outer surfaces of the wood are thereby exposed. Theseend grains/fibers are extremely susceptible to thepermutation/absorption of water and, once this process occurs,cracks/rotting begin to form.

These imperfections, along with the general propensity of wooden posts10 to deteriorate over time from their exposure to the elements (e.g.wind, rain, snow, sleet, etc.) and other harmful substances (e.g., roadsalt, pesticides, etc.) can lead to the permeation of moisturethroughout the entirety of the wooden post 10. This permeation ofmoisture throughout the wooden post 10 will, over time, lead to theadditional rotting or weakening of the wooden post 10.

Additionally, wooden post 10 may further be weakened as the moisturewithin the wooden post 10 undergoes the various freeze/thaw cyclesassociated with the seasons of the year, and from the sun's harmful UVrays. More specifically, as the permeation and freezing/thawing processrepeats, the cracks 12 become bigger and bigger due to theexpansion/contraction of the saturated wood fibers until said cracks 12ultimately compromise the structural integrity of wooden post 10. Oncethe structural integrity of the wooden post 10 has been compromised, itmay no longer be able to support the weight of the guardrail 20, orserve as a sufficient roadside barrier, thereby necessitating itsreplacement to ensure public safety.

FIG. 2A illustrates a perspective top view of one potential embodimentof the guardrail post cap 100 of the present invention in accordancewith the disclosed architecture. More specifically, guardrail post cap100 is generally cylindrical in shape, and is preferably comprised of ananodized aluminum or other anti-corrosive or corrosion resistantmaterial to resist the elements (e.g. wind, rain, snow, sleet, etc.) andharmful chemicals (e.g., road salt, debris, herbicides, pesticides,etc.) that can be encountered along a roadside. Anodized aluminum inparticular has been proven to exhibit increased anti-corrosive andanti-wear properties, and is very durable. Nonetheless, it is alsocontemplated that guardrail post cap 100 may be comprised of a UVresistant plastic or other material having a UV protective coatingthereon, as explained more fully below, to protect the post cap 100device from the sun's harmful UV rays, as well as the above referencedelements, chemicals and contaminants.

As best shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the guardrail post cap 100 of thepresent invention is also preferably comprised of a top 110, a sideportion 112, an opening 114, and an interior surface 116. Top 110 isgenerally rounded or dome shaped, and preferably mirrors or mimics theangle and contour of the top surface 14 of wooden post 10. Nonetheless,it is contemplated that the actual angle/degree of the contour of thetop portion 110 of the guardrail post cap 100 may differ slightly fromthe angle/degree of the contour of the post 10 to allow the guardrailpost cap 100 to encapsulate the entirety of the post top surface 14.

Side portions 112 are generally cylindrical in shape, and are also sizedto accommodate an average sized guardrail anchor post 10, as explainedmore fully below. Each of the top portion 110 and the side portion 112of guardrail post cap 100 may further comprise a reflective finish orcoating 120 thereon, such as Hi-Viz retro-reflective powder coatingsavailable from Halo Coatings in Akron, Ohio or similar reflectiveproducts. Nonetheless, it is also contemplated that reflective materialscan be integrally formed within the anodized aluminum or plasticcompositions referenced above, or be in the form of a reflective tapesuch as that which is manufactured and sold by 3M of St. Paul, Minn. Thepresence of reflective material or coating 120 on guardrail post cap 100enables oncoming motorists to see the guardrail post caps 100, and theguardrail anchor posts 10 that they are attached to, via the reflectionof their vehicle's headlights.

Additionally, each of the top portion 110 and the side portions 112 ofguardrail post cap 100 may further comprise a UV protective finish orcoating thereon or therein, such as NanoMyte UV protective coatings thatare available from NEI Corporation in Somerset, New Jersey, or similarUV protective materials. The presence of a UV protective coating onguardrail post cap 100 resists the harmful UV rays of the sun that couldlead to the premature failure of the guardrail post caps 100.

As stated above, guardrail post cap 100 further comprises an opening 114therein and an interior surface 116. Opening 114 is shaped and sized toaccommodate the top 12 and body 16 of a typically sized wooden anchorpost 10, and form a friction fit therebetween to prevent unintendedremoval of the guardrail post cap 100 from the wooden anchor post 10once installed. More specifically, it is contemplated that the interiordiameter of opening 114 will typically be between 5″ to 8″ toaccommodate a standard sized wooden anchor post 10. Nonetheless, it isalso foreseeable that the opening 114 could be of any conceivablediameter, size and/or shape to accommodate any and all diameters, sizesand/or shapes of wooden anchor posts 10 including, without limitation,circular, oval, square, rectangular, and the like.

When properly fitted, the interior surface 116 of guardrail post cap 100will be in contact with the top 12 and/or the body 16 of wooden anchorpost 10. Accordingly, the interior surface 116 of guardrail post cap 100may further comprise an adhesive coating 1162, as best shown in FIG. 4,to more securely attach guardrail post cap 100 to wooden anchor post 10once installed. Adhesive coating 1162 may be any type of adhesive knownin the art for securing two articles together in an outdoor environment,such as the adhesives manufactured and sold by Sika Corporation ofLyndhurst, N.J. Further, adhesive coating 1162 may be provided with aprotective liner (not shown) that can be removed just prior toapplication of the post cap 100 to anchor post 10 to prevent theadhesive coating from drying out.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective side view of an alternative embodimentof the guardrail post cap 100 of the present invention about to beplaced atop of a generally cylindrical wooden guardrail post 10, andhaving a precipitation diverting skirt 118 around the lowercircumference of the post cap 100 in accordance with the disclosedarchitecture. More specifically, the precipitation diverting skirt 118may be integrally formed within the sides 112 of guardrail post cap 100during the manufacturing process. Alternatively, precipitation divertingskirt 118 may be manufactured separately, and then fixedly attachedaround the lower circumference of the guardrail post cap 100 by, forexample, an adhesive (not shown) or other suitable fastening means (alsonot shown), such as may be the case when retrofitting a guardrail postcap 100 that has already been attached to a guardrail post 10 in thefield. Suitable fastening means may include, but are not limited to, atongue and groove channel or screw/bolt fastening means (not shown).

The precipitation diverting skirt 118 is comprised of a beveled edgethat directs any precipitation that may come in contact with the surfaceof the guardrail post cap 100 away from the rest of the guardrail post10 to which it is attached. The exterior diameter of the precipitationdiverting skirt 18 is between two and twenty percent larger than theexterior diameter of side portion 112. This ensures that anyprecipitation that has already been deflected away from the top surface14 of the post 10 by the presence of guardrail post cap 100 is alsodirected away from the body 16 of the guardrail post to preventpermeation therein.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective bottom view of the wooden guardrailpost cap 100 of FIG. 3, and having a precipitation diverting skirt 118around the lower circumference of the side surface 112 of the post cap100 and an adhesive coating 1162 on the interior surface 116 of the postcap 100 to secure the same to the top 14 of a guardrail post 10 inaccordance with the disclosed architecture. Likewise, FIG. 5 illustratesa cross-sectional view of the wooden guardrail post cap 100 of FIG. 3 atcut line 3-3, and attached to the wooden guardrail post 10 in accordancewith the disclosed architecture. More specifically, the presence ofprecipitation diverting skirt 118 on the lower circumference of the sidesurface 112 of the post cap 100 serves to direct any precipitation thatmay come in contact with the surface of the guardrail post cap 100 awayfrom the rest of the guardrail post 10 to which it is attached.

Notwithstanding the forgoing, the wooden guardrail post cap 100 of thepresent invention can by any suitable size, shape, and configuration asis known in the art without affecting the overall concept of theinvention, provided that it accomplishes the above stated objectives.One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the shape and sizeof the wooden guardrail post cap 100 and its various components, as showin the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many othershapes and sizes of wooden guardrail post cap 100 are well within thescope of the present disclosure. Although dimensions of the woodenguardrail post cap 100 and its components (i.e., length, width, andheight) are important design parameters for good performance, the woodenguardrail post cap 100 and may be any shape or size that ensures optimalperformance during use and/or that suits user need and/or preference.

What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subjectmatter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivablecombination of components or methodologies for purposes of describingthe claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art mayrecognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimedsubject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter isintended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variationsthat fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in eitherthe detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to beinclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising”is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

What is claimed is:
 1. A post cover cap for an anchor post comprising: atop portion; a side portion integrally formed with the top portion; andan opening for receipt of a portion of the anchor post
 2. The post covercap of claim 1, wherein the top portion is dome-shaped.
 3. The postcover cap of claim 1, wherein the post cover cap is comprised ofanodized aluminum.
 4. The post cover cap of claim 1 further comprisingan adhesive on an interior surface of the post cover cap.
 5. The postcover cap of claim 1 further comprising an reflective material on anexterior surface of the post cover cap.
 6. The post cover cap of claim 1further comprising an ultraviolet light protective coating on anexterior surface of the post cover cap.
 7. The post cover cap of claim 1further comprising a skirt.
 8. The post cover cap of claim 7, whereinthe skirt is positioned along a circumference of the side portionopposite the top portion.
 9. The post cover cap of claim 7, wherein theskirt has a diameter that is larger than an exterior diameter of theside portion.
 10. The post cover cap of claim 10, wherein the diameterof the skirt is between two and twenty percent larger than the exteriordiameter of the side portion.
 11. A post cover cap for an anchor postcomprising: a top portion; a side portion, wherein each of the top andside portions are comprised of a reflective outer surface; an openingfor receipt of a portion of the anchor post; and an interior surface.12. The post cover cap of claim 11, wherein the top portion isdome-shaped.
 13. The post cover cap of claim 11, wherein the post covercap is comprised of anodized aluminum or a ultraviolet resistantplastic.
 14. The post cover cap of claim 11, wherein the interiorsurface is coated with an adhesive.
 15. The post cover cap of claim 11further comprising an ultraviolet light protective coating on anexterior surface of the post cover cap.
 16. The post cover cap of claim11 further comprising a skirt positioned along a circumference of theside portion opposite the top portion.
 17. The post cover cap of claim16, wherein the skirt has a diameter that is larger than an exteriordiameter of the side portion.
 18. The post cover cap of claim 17,wherein the diameter of the skirt is between two and twenty percentlarger than the exterior diameter of the side portion.
 19. The postcover cap of claim 16, wherein the skirt is removably attached to theside portion.
 20. A post cover cap for an anchor post comprising: adome-shaped top portion; a cylindrical shaped side portion extendingfrom the dome-shaped top portion; an opening in an end of thecylindrical shaped side portion that is opposite the dome-shaped topportion; a reflective and corrosion resistant outer surface; an adhesivecoated inner surface for contacting the anchor post; and a precipitationdiverting skirt positioned along a circumference of the side portionadjacent to said opening.